Batman: Arkham City allowed many players to take down their favorite DC villains, including The Riddler. However, the genius megalomaniac could only be taken down in a very specific way, and the Bat never actually lands a blow on the man!
Just like him, there are many bosses in video games that the player never needs to attack, or can straight up ignore, to win the fight, and sometimes the game! Here are nine such video game bosses that gave players a new way to complete the game.
9. The Riddler – Batman: Arkham City
The Riddler is one of the many villains present in the sequel to Arkham Asylum, and the game really takes advantage of his proclivities to get the player to explore the new open map. As with all of his other appearances across media, Edward Nigma taunts the Bat to prove the Caped Crusader is not even close to his level of intellect.
It’s only after you get all 400 Riddler trophies, which is no small feat by itself, that the player gains access to taking down puzzling villain. This may seem like a lot of work for a trivial fight, but the entertainment is Riddler’s annoyance at every trophy you gain.
8. Jinroku – Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch’s epic samurai tale was one of the most visually appealing games of 2020. With constant rumors of a sequel floating around, fans are eager to don the mantle of Jin Sakai once again and get into some cinematic showdowns that would impress even Akira Kurosawa.
However, one duel doesn’t even require you to fight—Jinroku. This “boss” can be found in the Izuhara district during the Tale “The Other Side of Honor.” Once tracked down and engaged in combat, the player needs to stand still for a while, and the impostor will surrender.
7. Ollie Bulb – Cuphead
Cuphead’s boss-rush formula would make one believe that there isn’t any wasted time or inactive bosses throughout the game. However, there is one that was cleverly added later on, and the player doesn’t need to fire a single shot.
The second character of the Root Pack the player faces in Botanic Panic! Ollie Bulb is a giant onion that will start to cry if struck. But if the player can control their trigger finger, the vegetable will sink back into the ground. It does mean there is an extra boss to face in the final phase against Chauncey Chatenay, but it’s a nice breather between rounds.
6. The End – Metal Gear Solid 3
Snake Eater introduced a ton of innovative approaches the player could adopt to complete missions. The question arises if the new MGS Delta and future titles will live up to Kojima’s vision, but the game offered not one but two bosses that could be defeated unconventionally.
Not only does the game allow the player to take out the sniper earlier in the game, but there’s another, more hidden method. Simply wait a week (or change the time settings on your system), and when you load the game back in, Snake will be seen approaching a lifeless End who has passed due to old age.
5. Legate Lanius – Fallout: New Vegas
The Fallout games have always placed players’ freedom and choice over everything else. Missions can be completed in various ways, depending on the player’s choice of skill management. New Vegas is no different, and one of the hardest boss battles in the game can be skipped with the gift of the gab.
After completing a set of missions for the commander clad in Spartan armor, the player can decide whether to engage them in combat. However, if the player has leveled their Speech skills, they can choose to talk Lanius out of his final plans, negating the need for bloodshed.
4. Mary/Maria – Silent Hill 2
Gamers were already given an easy way to beat Incubus in the first game, and the sequel followed this trend. As the player nears the end of the game, they may expect a difficult face-off, but there is a tactic that makes this boss a joke, quite literally.
All the player has to do is ignore her attacks and run around the arena. Do this for long enough, and the boss eventually takes herself out. With the remake right around the corner now, we will have to wait and see if this mechanic is present in the game.
3. The Hunter – Dead Space
Necromorphs are challenging in their own right, but what about one that never dies? The Hunter is encountered in Chapter 5 and stalks the player for the rest of the game. This enemy can’t be taken down by the traditional method of chopping off the limbs, as it simply regenerates.
Slowing it down and running away is the only tactic available to Isaac whenever it enters the room. Later on, Isaac can take it down courtesy of jet fuel. The 2023 remake of the game offers some backstory for this beast, and Isaac even has a new dialogue if the player completes the side mission regarding this Necromorph.
2. The Sorrow – Metal Gear Solid 3
Another entry from the mind of Hideo Kojima, this game had some of the most innovative bosses in gaming at the time. The Sorrow is distinctly different from the previously mentioned boss, as there is no real combat involved at all in this encounter.
Rather, the player must meander through a river where Snake is greeted with the ghosts of all the people he (possibly) has killed in the game. But there is an easy way to end this encounter just as it starts. The players can simply lie down in the river and drown themselves, but this means they miss out on some cool loot.
1. Professor Nakayama – Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 enjoys making a parody of many video game tropes, and that of the big bad boss is one of them. Professor Nakayama may be the final boss, but the fight is easily one of the most trivial in the game.
Players may have been expecting an epic showdown once his health bar appeared, but seeing him trip and tumble down the stairs with each impact taking away a chunk of his life solidified the silliness of the game franchise.
What bosses have you encountered that you could entirely ignore? Let us know in the comments below!
